The inaugural Future You Conference at World Travel Market 2009 was a massive success with more than 300 students attending.
The conference, organised by the leading membership associations for travel and tourism professionals the Institute of Travel & Tourism and the Tourism Society, took place on the Thursday morning of WTM 2009 (12 November).
This half-day event, the successor to the popular ASPIRE Conference, offered essential information and advice to tourism students and graduates from experts across the travel and tourism industry including CV and interview tips, where to go for jobs, what extra training is available and who to contact.
Speakers included:
– Elizabeth Hegarty, Community Relations Manager from London City Airport who spoke on the undergraduate schemes it is currently running. Using a combination of case studies and statistics, Hegarty explained the courses available and personal development skills that can be achieved by taking part.
– Go Skills is the lead body for skills, workforce development and labour market data for the passenger transport sector. Development Manager, Sally Mawson discussed possible careers within passenger transport and how to go about moving skills forward.
– Sam Biggs, Sales and Marketing Manager for Ripley’s Believe It or Not Attractions addressed the audience with a presentation specific to his field ‘Graduating into Tourism Attractions’.
– Project Abroad – the leading volunteering abroad organisation – Recruitment Director Ian Birbeck spoke of his experiences and life changing moments in the travel industry in a presentation titled ‘From Gap Year Volunteer to Recruitment Director’.
– New Frontiers, Travel Industry Recruitment Agency Operations Director, Bruce Martin gave an informative and helpful presentation on how students can stand out from the crowd and get the job they truly deserve with a ‘Travel C.V. Health Check’.
World Travel Market Head of Marketing and Communications Micaela Juarez said: “World Travel Market was delighted to be able to offer travel and tourism students such a comprehensive and practical programme to help them secure their perfect job in the industry when they graduate.
“The current financial downturn means future graduates are facing the toughest jobs market in generations. World Travel Market, the ITT and the Tourism Society were pleased to be able to help students fulfil their potential and give them their first break into one of the most dynamic and fast-paced industry’s in the world.”
ITT Director and Chair of Education and Training Claire Steiner said: “Pressure on tourism graduates is increasing; the event provided aspiring students with a unique opportunity to hear from industry leaders on how to make the most of employment opportunities in the UK’s fifth biggest industry.”
The Tourism Society MTS Executive Director Mark Miller commented; “We are absolutely delighted that the Future You event was the best attended event during WTM.”
“We certainly look forward to making Future You a regular feature in our annual events calendar and hope we can once again work in collaboration with ITT on this and other related events. This type of forum not only highlights the varied and different sectors and specialisms within the tourism sector but offers students dedicated career advice within this varied industry.”
ITT Chairman Steven Freudmann said “With more travel and tourism graduates and fewer jobs to fight over, it is more important than ever to get proper careers advice direct from the industry”.
Tourism Society Chairman Alison Cryer said “The attendance figures speak for themselves there is a genuine need for this type of event. It is the career development of the youth and future of our industry that has united the two leading associations in one common goal.”
